The Prince and His Servant
by WhoamInottobefabulous
Summary: Perfect for any Merthur Shipper : When will Arthur finally realise that the feelings he has for Merlin are more than just friendly..and will it be too late? Note: set before Morgana turns beautifully evil (well someone's got to ship them!)
1. Chapter 1

"Rise and shine!"

Arthur groaned as sunlight flooded through the windows and the sound of the courtyard below filled his bedroom. Still half asleep he shoved one of the many feather pillows over his head and had fully intended on drifting back to sleep if it wasn't for a small buzzing noise coming from the left of him. Arthur lifted his head and squinted at the bright room, part of which was being blocked off by the wiry body standing in front of him. It was his servant Merlin, standing practically on his pillow rambling on about how the breakfast that had been specifically laid out at the foot of Arthur's bed was really no good for him and how he should try eating the porridge that he himself ate every morning as it contained very little and was completely one hundred per cent healthy.

"Merlin, if you don't shut up I'll have you put in the stocks for the whole day"

Merlin paused and there was silence for about 2 seconds until he started off again. "All I was saying Sire is that if you ate something less…fattening, then you'd see a dramatic difference in your health"

Arthur paused for a moment, still only half conscious and waited for this information to make sense…

"Are you calling me fat Merlin?"

Merlin quickly moved to the door in case there was need for a quick escape. "Of course not sire, I'm just suggesting that a future king should be thoughtful of his horses, you know, they have to carry you about all day"

There was a scuffle and a thud as Arthurs pillow hit the wall were Merlin had been standing seconds earlier. As Arthur lay there in bed thinking through the plans of the new day he wondered to himself if his father knew how utterly inconsiderable some of the younger servants were and questioned how long Merlin would survive under his orders. Of course, he had only tolerated him so far because of the small detail that Merlin had saved his life. It was nothing to do with how he found Merlin's so called charm and wit slightly amusing, or how he looked forward every day to being able to have normal conversations with somebody without the usual feeling that they were holding back simply because he would one day be there future king. Not that Merlin would ever find this out of course, one more compliment from himself and he was afraid that Merlin would become even surer of himself that he was doing a brilliant job than he already was. Arthur's mind drifted back to the moment in the armoury room last week where Arthur had accidently complimented Merlin on his polishing skills.

He was on the search for his servant after he had had to help Percival and Gwaine round up the horses which had unfortunately escaped into the courtyard. Arthur had a suspicion that he knew which stupid clotpole had left the doors open and fully intended on telling Merlin quite rightly what an idiot he was. He eventually found Merlin in the armoury room surrounded by piles of weaponry, shields and pieces of armour. Merlin had turned round just as the prince had entered, and a piece of armour fell to the floor with a clatter.

"Oh, your sire-"

"Merlin have you done all this?" Arthur had been too distracted by the surprise of Merlin seemingly having done work to make a comment about his clumsiness.

"Erm, yes of course, by hand, completely by hand, as you asked, n-no help from anything, sorry anyone. At all."

Ignoring the fact that Merlin seemed slightly flushed and was acting nervous Arthur stepped further into the room to observe the gleaming pieces of metal. Quite frankly, he admitted to himself, he had set this task for Merlin not expecting him to finish.

"Well, brilliant job Merlin, maybe you're not so useless after all"

Arthur stepped closer to Merlin just as the young servant stepped closer to the prince; they were now barely a foot apart. What a vivid shade of blue Arthur remembered thinking as he stared into Merlin's eyes. The cerulean irises seemed to lighten as a patch of sunlight spread through the small window. Arthur's eyes moved down and noticed the sharp line where Merlin's cheekbones protruded and the way that his thick dark hair curled around his ears. Slowly Arthur's own eyes came to rest of his servant's lips. Perfectly formed and slightly turned up at the edges because Merlin had come to the conclusion in his own head that Arthur had actually complimented him and the smile still lingered. Suddenly, he caught himself and looked quickly up at Merlin. Merlin whose own eyes had also drifted downwards along the fine features of his Prince hastily looked up at Arthur hoping that he had not been caught staring. Arthur coughed awkwardly and took a step backwards

"Yes, as I said, brilliant er- job"

He then briskly turned on the spot and stalked out of the room leaving Merlin still standing awkwardly in the middle.

A call from the courtyard jolted Arthur out of his thoughts and he quickly stood up and walked over to get changed. No, he said to himself, Merlin would definitely not be getting any more compliments off him. He shook his head to clear the recent memory away; it must have been the heat of the day and lack of space in the armoury room. Arthur most undeniably was not attracted to Merlin. He laughed to himself at the idea of it and left his chambers to meet his knights and begin a day's training.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur strolled out in the practice ground. The combination of the afternoon sun high in the cloudless sky along with his heavy armour was already making him uncomfortable. The knights were waiting for him by their horses ready to begin the hunting trip that had been planned only hours before. Arthur had realised recently that he had been thinking too much of certain feelings towards a certain someone and felt that a hunting trip would be sure to clear his head although it may not work so well with distracting him as he could unmistakably hear Merlin trailing behind him. His servant frequently dropping the pile of weaponry that he was carrying whilst at the same time managing to complain under his breath. Arthur rolled his eyes and spun on his heels to face him

"Merlin if you don't want to join us on this trip then you can straight back inside and start work. My chambers are a complete mess, my clothes need washing, my bed needs changing and then you can wait until we come back so you can clean my armour and muck out the stables"

Merlin looked up just in time to prevent crashing into Arthur.

"I just don't see how you can find the hunting and killing of animals entertaining. Surely there's a better way to spend your time"

"Where do you think we get our food from? It doesn't just appear out of thin air you know Merlin. Plus it's good fun and unless you want a food shortage on our hands then you'll stop complaining and come and join me…-us"

Arthur walked away towards Sir Percival taking his horse from the waiting knight, stepping onto the wooden stool and swinging his leg over, settling into the saddle. Fortunately he did not hear Merlin's retort of Arthur needing the exercise that the hunting trip would provide...

"Look at him, the poor thing is nearly drowned in that shirt"

"I think Arthur works him too hard"

"I think he uses it an excuse to be in the same room as him"

Sir Gwaine and Sir Leon rode by side by side at the back of the group quietly discussing the relationship between their prince and his servant. They rarely had time to talk on hunting trips, however more frequently Merlin had been joining them on the trips; Arthur insisted that Merlin rode on his left and the knights were more than willing to drop back a position, gladly accepting Merlin into the brotherhood. This group of knights were some of Arthur's closest friends. They were with him outside of the castle walls where he could relax and enjoy hours outside. They were willing to risk their lives for their prince and at the moment Gwaine and Leon in particular were persistent on the fact that since Merlin had joined their group they had nether seen the Prince so at ease. As the party dismounted, Gwaine who considered himself as some sort of relationship expert, glanced back over to the couple.

"Look at the way Merlin just touched Arthurs arm"

"He's straightening his armour, that's his job" Leon laughed as Gwaine frowned at the less than encouraging reply although he neither could deny the certain interactions between the pair.

"I think they're secretly dating" Gwaine couldn't help but smile with hope at his own suggestion.

"Secretly? Arthur couldn't hide his feelings if he tried. If he and Merlin were dating he'd be over here right now telling us the story of how Merlin saved his life. Again. Besides Arthur is oblivious to how either of them feel, Merlin could be downright flirting and he wouldn't be able to decide how to go about reciprocating it.

"I suppose you're right. Any feeling Arthur shows towards him seem to go unnoticed by himself. It's almost as if he's not aware of the way he looks at Merlin. Constantly. All the time"

"I think you need to get yourself a date, clearly your lack of a love life is issuing you with severe mental problems and a very stalkerish attitude. I bet you're practically begging to be a best man aren't you?"

There was a sudden wrestle and the next thing he knew, Leon was staring up at the sky with Gwaine standing over him

"Don't crush my dreams like that"

Leon laughed at his best friend and reached out a hand, asking to be pulled back up

"Say sorry"

"I'm sorry"

"Admit Arthur and Merlin would make a cute couple"

"Arthur and Merlin would make a cute couple"

Gwaine grinned; it wasn't very often that he won arguments with any of the knights. The youngest in the group he seemed to be at the base of every joke.

"Gwaine, Leon! If you two could stop with your mindless chatter for a couple of minutes, you might like to join the rest of us?"

The two knights walked over to where the group had formed, standing to listen to the prince as he issued the orders for the hunt.

"We've hunted this forest before, we all know how easy it is for us and we know our way around it. That's why we're splitting into pairs and teaming off, that way we can cover more ground. There's nothing too large in this area except from a couple of deer so there should be no problem shooting anything down. Okay? We'll circle round and meet back here"

The group split up into the usual pairs Gwaine and Leon, Percival and Elyan and Arthur and Merlin. Almost automatically Arthur had turned towards Merlin when it had come to splitting up; however it was not as if the knights had any intentions on splitting them up.

"Merlin. We're supposed to be hunting; it requires speed, stealth and an agile mind!"

Arthur half whispered as he turned around for the hundredth time that afternoon to watch Merlin trip, stumble or fall over anything that wasn't perfectly flat.

"So you're able to get by on two out of three then?"

Arthur prevented himself from laughing at Merlin's quick response and instead was just about to turn around and explain that it was not a good idea for him to insult his prince we he heard the rustle of leaves up ahead. He put his arm out to signal to Merlin that a hunt was about to take place but really it signalled that Merlin was not to make any more loud unnecessary noises or comments about Arthur's lack of skills. A large stag suddenly emerged from the surrounding undergrowth and stood by the edge of the clearing watching with large brown eyes. Arthur knew from experience that the animal would run at any sudden movement so he waited with the crossbow raised for the stag to decide whether or not it was safe to venture further out. All of a sudden it moved directly into Arthur's path almost as if it was unaware that death would most likely follow.

"Sire you might want to back down"

"Merlin. Shut up. It's only a Stag"

Merlin looked back at the beast slowly advancing towards the prince and then back at Arthur who looked as if this was something he fought against every day

"Sire do you not- "

"Are you scared Merlin?"

Merlin stuttered, still slightly confused at Arthurs oblivious attitude towards the large Griffon that was approaching with an alarming speed.

"I-er-no. No of course not sire"

Suddenly the creature picked up speed and charged towards Arthur, the large talons digging up the ground beneath it. Merlin looked over to Arthur calmly setting his bow and drawing the string back. There was no way that the arrow was going to break the magically enhanced skin of the beast. Arthur took aim and let go of the string just as Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the tip of the arrow glowed. The arrow hit just above the left front leg barely scratching the surface of the animal's skin. Before Merlin had a chance to wonder why the spell hadn't worked the Griffon was upon them.

_Hleap on bᴂc!_

The force of the invisible shield pushed the pair backwards as the griffon charged past, its large wings lifting it skywards. Merlin groaned as he hit the ground, the impact softened as he landed on top of Arthur. For a minute neither of them seemed to be aware of the situation, both lost in the confusion of what had just happened. For Merlin he was suddenly filled with doubt, never had one of his spells failed. However for Arthur, he was lost in the hurt of his pride. Slightly angry that the Stag had gotten away and so easily, even though he had made a perfect shot. It was as if the arrow hadn't affected it at all. Suddenly they both came out of their thoughts and realised at the same time the position that they were in…


	3. Chapter 3

"Sorry Sire"

"No, my pleasure"

Arthur noticed a flicker of emotion wash across Merlin's face, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. He didn't understand what emotion it was but Merlin had made no effort to move and Arthur liked the idea of affecting him in this manner. Once again Arthur was distracted by Merlin's skin just inches above his face. His eyes seemed brighter than that time in the armoury room, and for the first time Arthur noticed that they were flecked with tiny pieces of gold only noticeable now that they were so close in each other's vicinity. Perhaps it was the afternoon hunt but Arthur hoped otherwise as he noticed the light flush along the top of Merlin's cheekbones. There was a smudge of dirt above his right eyebrow and pieces of leaves had caught themselves in the mess of black hair. Now that was definitely because of the hunt, no doubt from yet another tree that had gotten in his servants way. Arthur caught himself just as he was about to raise his hand to brush them out and realised what he was about to do so instead he continued to lay there taking in Merlin's features and trying hard to hold on to them so he would not forget the current situation when he woke in the morning. Unaware that Merlin was doing the exact same thing Arthur quickly realised that his manservant may be finding this slightly too uncomfortable and coughed awkwardly to break the silence. Merlin blinked rapidly, breaking his daydreaming, his eyes falling on Arthurs arm

"Sire, you're bleeding"

Just where his chainmail ended and before the metal cuff begun, a rip in the red fabric showed a deep cut where the spell had pushed them backwards into the tangle of thorny bushes.

Arthur raised his arm to eye level brushing over the cut before looking back up

"It's nothing Merlin, barely a scratch"

"I can heal it for you if you want; no doubt Gaius will have some sort of cream"

"No. there's no need"

Arthur's thoughts quickly flashed back to the few times that he had been into the castle's apothecary. Whenever he was not working for the prince Merlin had always seemed to be learning out of large dusty books that filled the room. Arthur doubted that Merlin was yet as skilled as Gaius when it came to medicines and would rather ignore the cut than let Merlin near it. If he knew his manservant at all, he would probably only make the cut worse, even if he did have the right intentions at heart. However, this time the flash of disappointment across Merlin's face was unmistakeable and Arthur quickly changed his mind as he felt that strange feeling in his chest again. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Merlin, besides the cut was beginning to sting a little now.

"I mean, of course you can. That'd be very kind of you Merlin"

Merlin grinned, the kind of grin that seemed to emphasize how his ears stuck out just a little too much and created a little dimple on the right side of his mouth. It was strange how Arthur had come to notice these things but the Prince himself didn't seem to notice how observant he was of his servant.

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Sire?"

"Are you going to get off me?"

"Oh, er, yes of course"

Merlin stood up and offered out a hand for Arthur to take. The prince more than willingly took it, and pulled himself up. Merlin could not help but notice that he held onto his hand for slightly longer than was necessary once he was standing, just staring at Merlin from behind his blonde fringe.

"Horses?"

"Ah, yes, brilliant idea"

Arthur quickly walked off to collect the fallen arrow that had barely scratched the Stag whilst Merlin turned back onto the beaten path to untie the two horses that had been abandoned a few metres back as the path had become more wild. His head filled with not the admittedly enjoyable last few minutes but with doubts of his own magic and confusion as to why Arthur seemingly was not able to see the mythical creature he hunted.

They rode back in a comfortable silence except from the one order that Arthur had which was to not tell anybody what had happened, including the escaped stag. Merlin suspected that his Prince's pride and reputation was currently high on his list of thoughts. They rode along the main track back north towards the castle, meeting up with the knights as planned. They had collected a handful of pheasants and rabbits between them and helpfully offered excuses for Arthur's lack of meat, blaming the weather for the absence of available prey. Once again Gwaine and Leon lagged behind the rest of the party, having spent all of the afternoon discussing village gossip together and Gwaine being Gwaine was having a hard time stopping just because Arthur had returned.

"There's mud on his knees"

"There's mud on all of our knees"

"Yes but Merlin hasn't been kneeling down to take aim has he, we all know he doesn't agree with hunting, It's unlikely he had a go"

"What, so your immediate conclusion is to suggest that Merlin and Arthur-" Leon air quoted "-Got in on- in the forest?"

Gwaine smiled in glee and rode ahead to catch up with the others. Leon rolling his eyes, laughed at his best friend and how determined he was once his mind was set on something, sped up and rode after him up the cobblestone path that lead to the village.

"There you go, let me just get the bandage"

Arthur was sitting on the edge of the large wooden table in the middle of his room. After a lot of waiting, Merlin had finally returned with a small bowl full of the most disgusting substance Arthur had ever seen. According to Merlin it was meant to heal and cleanse and was currently smeared over the cut on the inside of his arm. To give Merlin some credit his cut _had_ stopped stinging since it had been treated but it was hard to ignore the smell that was coming from it and Arthur was holding his arm out away from him as far as he could. All of a sudden there was a crash and Arthur looked up just in time to see Merlin trip over a wooden stool, nearly dropping the roll of bandages in the process.

"Merlin, were you born clumsy or do you work at it?"

"It's just one of my many gifts sire"

Arthur couldn't help himself from laughing out loud realising that he found Merlin's clumsiness actually very endearing. Merlin stood directly in front of him smiling as he wrapped the cut up in the white clean bandage.

"There we go-"

"You always surprise me Merlin"

Merlin looked up to see that the Arthur was no longer looking at his arm but had his eyes already trained on Merlin. He was still smiling and a slow identical smile spread across Arthur's face as they watched each other intently. Merlin felt a hand on the back of his waist as Arthur gently pushed him closer, he glanced down at Arthur's lips and then back up to meet his eyes, just as Arthur leaned in there was a knock at the door. The pair sprung apart, Arthur jumping up from the table as Morgana entered his room.

"Ah, Merlin, I thought you might be in here, Gaius is looking for you he says it's important"

Merlin smiled gratefully at Morgana and slipped out of the doorway into the corridor leaving the spare bandages and the mixture in Arthur's room.

"You're looking slightly flushed my Lord, not coming down with any sort of sickness I hope?"

Arthur flushed a deeper shade of red, thankful than Morgana hadn't come in a few minutes later. He thought of replying although by the way that she was observing his room he could already tell that her mind had wandered onto other things and that she wasn't really interested in his state of health. Besides, if Arthur had known any better he would have suspected that Morgana was inclining a little too much towards something else.

"Do you never clean your room Arthur? It's not hard you know"

Arthur glared at her from across the admittedly messy desk.

"Blame Merlin"

Before visiting Gaius, Merlin decided to make a quick diversion and instead went straight down to the caves to visit the Great Dragon. He had a bad feeling that a storm was stirring. Firstly, what was a Griffon doing in Camelot? And secondly and more importantly, why hadn't his magic worked? He was hoping that the Dragon would give him a straight answer to his questions.

"Ah, young warlock, I wondered when I'd be seeing you again. No doubt you've come to ask for my help" Old chains rattled as the dragon settled upon the rock.

"Why couldn't Arthur see the Griffon in the forest? Who created it?"

"It was the mist that prevented Arthur from seeing it. A supernatural force that bends a mortals mind prevents it from seeing what is really there and replaces it with something a mortal mind can comprehend. Usually the sorcerer removes it, what would be the point of a threat against the kingdom if it cannot be seen by non-magical folk?"

"Who sent it?"

"I know not who but Camelot is in danger. Your paths are entwined, Arthur's destiny lies with yours and his life at the moment is in danger. To defeat such a powerful beast you will need a certain spell. Close your eyes and open your mind young wizard"

Merlin closed his eyes and searched inside him for the core of his magic. He felt a strong gust of wind wrap around him. It seemed to enter his body and fill his mind, leaving the tips of his fingers tingling.

"Few men have ever been gifted with such knowledge. Use it wisely"

Merlin turned to leave; a plan lay in his head. He now knew how to defeat the Griffon and what exactly to do. The Dragon called him back just as he reached the entrance back into the castle

"None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin. And none of us can escape it"


	4. Chapter 4

"You're not listening to me!"

"Merlin have you been drinking?"

Arthur asked this as a serious question half expecting Merlin to admit defeat and confess that he had been in the tavern with Gwaine since dinner time. Only minutes had passed since Merlin had burst into the room and a hurried claim had quickly become an argument.

"Listen to me! Camelot is in danger! I know I'm just a servant and my word doesn't count for anything but I wouldn't lie to you. There is something dangerous in the forest along the northern border!"

"This nonsense isn't helping you keep your job Merlin! We would have heard from the villages if anything had been sighted plus the knights of Camelot are fully capable of bringing down an animal. If you're suggesting that it has been conjured by sorcery then you're wrong. Nobody would dare use magic within the borders of Camelot and there hasn't been any talk of magic within the walls of this castle for months. If you're going to shout at me I'll have you escorted from the castle. You can spend a few days thinking about whether or not you want to be my servant"

There was a short pause as the pair glared angrily at one another from across the room.

"Fine."

Arthur turned his back away from Merlin and towards the window watching the courtyard down below but not really observing anything. As guards came to remove Merlin from his chambers Arthur stayed rigid, barely noticing the door as it shut and the silence that fell over his chambers. He stayed at the window staring through the mottled glass lost in his thoughts. Once again he had lost his temper. He was so used to having everyone around him submitting to his orders that he was not used to being shouted at. Apart from his father of course, there had been no end of being shouted at when he was younger and still learning every specific detail that he had been expected to perfect if he was to be a successful heir to the throne. Merlin wasn't his father though; Merlin had no right to shout at him Arthur thought to himself. In fact how dare he, how dare he speak to him like that, it served him right. Arthur moved to sit behind the large wooden table that filled the middle of the room. He should have had him put into the stocks. Yes that would've taught him a lesson, just like he had done on his first day. Reputation was one of the many things that the Prince classed as important and there was no way that a rude and idiotic village boy would get away with insulting Arthur in front of his people. Wait- no, he regretted ever thinking that. He would never put Merlin in the stocks now. He wouldn't embarrass him like and anyway what if Merlin was injured. By rotten fruit? A voice in his head replied. You're turning soft and all for the sake of a serving boy. It was true. He was the future king of Camelot wasn't he? And merlin was just a boy. In fact, Arthur started to become riled again, he was right to have him taken out! Nobody spoke to the prince like that!

"Sulking won't do anything you know"

Arthur startled, looked up breaking his trance. Morgana softly shut the door behind her and now comfortable in the fact that Arthur was aware of her presence strode towards the table at which Arthur was sat at.

"If you want him back go and tell him so"

Morganas voice seemed slightly strained as though she was almost desperate for Arthur to march right over to the Court Physician and demand to see Merlin.

"Do you not knock any more Morgana? Nobody has permission to enter my private chambers unless I say so"

Apart from Merlin Arthur thought. Merlin was allowed whenever he wanted. Hastily he caught himself, he shouldn't be thinking like that. He shook his head in an attempt to clear this last thought away.

"And I wasn't sulking. He shouted at me Morgana. Servants do not shout at their Princes let alone insult them"

"It's been three days now Arthur, how much longer are you going to pretend that you don't miss him?"

Three long days Arthur thought, for once in his life he had been grateful for the numerous amount of tasks that his father seemed to set him daily. It had kept him occupied and there was no need to ask for help off anybody. As a prince Arthur was expected to do a manner of things, and his father was content in the fact that they would be done to perfection. So yes, admittedly he had been isolated for 3 days and yes; maybe he did miss the occasional clatter as Merlin dropped something or tripped over his own feet and the light-hearted banter that occurred throughout the day but this wasn't for Merlin to know, let alone Morgana. Why he himself had only just come to these conclusions. Spending his only free afternoon caught in the battle that ensued in his mind. He had never been in love yet there was this strange feeling that arose every time Arthur thought of his servant, not just the way that a dimple appeared on the right side of his smile or the way that his clothes hung too loosely on his frame but the way that Merlin endured the many hunting trips he would drag him on and the way that the knights would drop down a position without arguing just so Merlin could ride alongside Arthur. He often wondered why the knights had so willingly accepted Merlin almost into their own friendship group. His thoughts drifted back to the last training day. Sir Gwaine and Sir Leon had been having a hushed discussion between themselves and as he had walked past he could've sworn that he'd heard the word 'dating'. Arthur had assumed that it was more village gossip however looking back on it now; he remembered the way that they had looked at Merlin and himself as they had paired off on the hunt. Arthur scowled

"See! You're too proud to admit that you enjoy Merlin's company. Instead you've been moping around and barely talking. Anyone would think that Merlin was more than just a serving boy to you Arthur."

Arthur opened his mouth in protest but was stopped before he could retaliate

"Just go and apologise for once"

Morgana smirked and turned on her heel, just as she was about to leave she haltered by the open door

"You never know Sire, you might get lucky. Merlin might forget what an idiot you've been"

She closed the door behind her, Arthur barely catching the sound of her stifled laugh. He hadn't been sure but he could've sworn that Morgana had winked at him. He let out a long sigh and paced across the stone floor. She was right as usual, he must go and apologise for not believing Merlin's claims against Camelot.


	5. Chapter 5

"Gaius!"

"Sire! What brings you here?"

Arthur strolled across the stone floor towards Merlin's small bedchamber talking to the court physician over his shoulder as he went.

"I'm looking for Merlin"

"Sire-"

"Merlin!"

Arthur stuck his head around the wooden door and noticing the empty space spun back around, eyes scanning the room as if it was possible Merlin could be hiding somewhere.

"Where is he? If he's down at the tavern then-"

"Sire he's gone to-"

Gaius sighed, he knew better than to talk whilst the Prince was discussing Merlin. It was easier for him to wait and allow Arthur to realise for himself what had just been said.

"…and that'll be the end of that- wait, gone? Gone where?"

Arthur realised that he didn't actually know how Merlin spent his free time, he'd assumed out in a field picking herbs or flowers or whatever his job was for Gaius. He made a mental note to chase Merlin up one of these days and find out exactly what he did, Arthur was sure he could find a reason for Merlin to spend his free time with him, which he guessed didn't really make it free-time...before Arthur's thoughts could wander any further Gaius replied.

"He's headed off to the forest Sire, he's er- he's gone on a task for me"

"The forest?"

Arthur noticed the intent look Gaius had on his face as he bent over the large wooden bench, mixing various things together. The long pause and lack of reply confirmed Arthur's suspicions.

"He was right wasn't he?"

Gaius sighed and straightened up finally looking the young prince in the eye.

"I'm afraid so sire, I've had word of a large beast roaming the surrounding northern area, a few more days and it's likely to reach Camelot, I'm afraid it only reveals itself to those it chooses, I suspect it was the stag you encountered on your last hunting trip"

Gaius could think of no other way to explain the mist Merlin had mentioned without suggesting why Merlin alone could see through it.

The weight of this news sat heavily on Arthur's shoulders. Camelot was striving and currently in a time of peace but the arrival of a magical beast suggested that enemies of Camelot were still very much in existence.

"Very well. Thank you Gaius"

Arthur made to head out of the room before his exit was interrupted.

"Sire, I'd advise you to stay well away"

Although Arthur did not know it himself, Gaius could already tell that he would eventually come up with the idea of following merlin and he couldn't allow the Prince the possibility of seeing Merlin using magic. The likely defeat of the creature in Merlin's presence was bound to bring up enough questions as it was.

Arthur thought it better than to worry the old man and so bowed his head in acknowledgement of Gaius's advice, then turned and strolled out into the corridor. He would do everything he possibly could to protect Camelot from this magical interference and bring Merlin back unharmed, he very much doubted that Merlin had any plan whatsoever, he could barely keep himself alive let alone slay what was turning out to be a dangerous threat to the kingdom. It was time to explain things to his father and he could only hope that Uther would not overreact…

Arthur slammed the large wooden door behind him and stood for a second trying to recollect his posture. After explaining to his father the peril bound for Camelot and the danger that Merlin was in, he had hoped for a better outcome. He had hoped that an assembly of his knights would be granted to go and slay this creature before it travelled any closer to the kingdom, and most of all, although he hadn't dared say this out loud, he had hoped that they could rescue Merlin in time. Unfortunately, all had not gone to plan. Uther at first was all for the idea of a brave and daring hunting trip that would demonstrate the courage and the skill of his son, however, as soon as Arthur mentioned magic, hell had broken loose. Uther had banned Arthur from leaving Camelot and declared that he would not make any attempt to thwart the creature until he received word that it was nearer to Camelot. He claimed that he would not risk the life of his son for what a magical enemy of his had clearly set upon the kingdom in a bid to destroy either Camelot or the future King.

Arthur set off towards his chambers dismayed, knowing that there was nothing he could say that would sway his father's decision. All he could think about was the last time he had seen Merlin three days ago. He didn't even know how long he had currently been gone for.

"Arthur? Are you listening?"

Arthur looked up, lost in his thoughts, barely noticing that he had already arrived back at his chambers. Morgana stood against the doors looking at him intently with a slightly irritated look on her face.

"Morgana! I didn't see you, my apologies"

"You're not listening to me are you? Why it was only under an hour ago I saw you, I assumed you were off to apologise to Merlin as suggested but yet here you are with a look on your face that suggests you haven't even made up with him"

"He's not here. He's gone. He was telling the truth. He was telling the truth and I chucked him out! And now there is nothing I can do about it except from hope that he comes back in one piece"

Arthur realised what he must sound like to Morgana and quickly tried to make an attempt to cover his real feelings up

"I mean, where else am I going to get a half decent servant at this notice? It's taken months for Merlin to learn how to do everything to my liking. Who's going to sort out my armour and-"

"Then go!"

"Morgana, you know that I can't. My father has forbid me"

Morgana let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes, sometimes she wondered if Arthur would always be so easily controlled.

"Honestly Arthur, what King do you think Camelot would want? One that would risk his own life for a lowly servant or one that would stay at home just because his father tells him to"

Arthur looked at Morgana in amazement and wondered how once again she had ended up telling him the right thing to do. For it was true, Merlin was in danger and it was about time he admitted to both himself and Merlin what he had been feeling for a while now. He could only hope that Merlin felt the same way. It was a ludicrous idea and just thinking about it made Arthur dizzy but Morgana was right, soon it would be up to him to rule his father's kingdom and it was about time that things were done differently. After all, his father could only forbid him whilst he could find him.


	6. Chapter 6

Before any of the knights could even question where he was going, Arthur was riding out of the courtyard and down towards the forest. He remembered Merlin vaguely mentioning something about the northern border and could think of nowhere better to start. It took him only a matter of minutes to pick up Merlin's tracks. Broken branches and flattened ground underfoot stuck out like a sore thumb from the dense surrounding forestation. Arthur couldn't help but smile to himself and shake his head at the thought of Merlin attempting to fight of the branches and leaves whilst remaining upright at the same time. He added 'stick to the path' and 'don't make it so obvious that a clumsy servant has just passed through' to the list of things to teach Merlin once things settled down in Camelot again. As the trees began to thin he spotted another of the kingdoms horses tied to a tree trunk slightly ahead of him. Dismounting his own, he tied the horses together and continued on foot. The path of ruin Merlin had god knows managed to create, began to widen and at least now there was a steady amount of light reaching down into the forest.

It didn't take long for Arthur to spot Merlin, crouching down on his knees peering through the branches in front of him, his hair sticking up in all places and that stupid red neckerchief slightly crooked around his neck. Arthur could never understand why he insisted on wearing it, but then again, he couldn't help but feel as if something was missing on the odd occasion he saw him without out.

"Merlin" the whisper seemed obnoxiously loud; it seemed far too quiet for the afternoon. Listening again, Arthur realised that there wasn't the usual sound of birds above him. Even the undergrowth seemed weirdly silent.

"Merlin!" he tried again, half shouting half whispering this time. He didn't want to startle him as he crept closer but quite frankly Merlin wasn't paying any attention to anything, something was distracting him.

"oh for gods- Merlin!"

"Arthur?"

Merlin turned just as Arthur stepped next to him. He looked surprised and nervous all at the same time and Arthur remembered the last time they had spoken.

"Merlin, I suppose I owe you-"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to argu-"

Both began speaking at the same time and it took several seconds to decide who should go first

"Merlin. I'm the Prince, let me speak for once"

"Sorry sire, I just-"

"Merlin."

Arthur rolled his eyes as his servant mimed closing his lips and stood in front of him trying hard not to sigh in exasperation too loudly.

"I owe you an apology. I should have trusted your word when you said that Camelot was in danger"

"I'm sorry that I argued with you Sire…I suppose your chambers are a complete mess without me?"

"Merlin don't push it"

Arthur couldn't decide whether the smirk forming on Merlin's lips was annoying him or whether it was actually quite appealing. Once again, he couldn't help smiling at his servant and wondered at what point the usual level of formality had gotten lost in their relationship.

"So, this Griffon? How do you plan on going about killing it?"

"Well, I er-" Merlin scratched the back of his head and looked down at the ground. Now he thought about it, he wasn't actually sure how he would've explained the success without mentioning his magic.

"Oh god. Merlin you haven't even brought a sword with you! What did you expect to do when you found it? You went looking for it on purpose without even bringing any kind of weapon? You really are the stupidest servant I've ever had…look, you can have this sword. You'd be hopeless without me, honestly"

Merlin took the second sword from Arthur, holding it awkwardly in his hand. The lack of expertise evident on his face.

All of a sudden, a loud squawk echoed around them and Arthur's focus was quickly drawn back to what Merlin had been looking at. He could see the Griffon and apparently it could see them. Fierce orange eyes stared back at them as it dug its curved talons into the dry earth beneath and stood fully up, stretching out from its resting position. The ground cracked beneath its large feet as the talons were dragged across the earth and Arthur couldn't help but notice the darkish faded markings of dried blood on the tips of the front claws. It squawked once more and lowered its head, Arthur knew what was about to happen and did the most natural thing that came to him. Face the enemy straight on.

Before Merlin had even registered that the mist had been lifted since they had last encountered the beast, Arthur had drawn his sword and rushed out into the clearing.

"Arthur!"

Two things ran through Merlin's mind. One being that once again he knew that anything non-magical would be useless against the Griffon, and two, why was Arthur such a brave prat?.

He watched as the Griffon unfolded its wings, rearing up onto its two back legs. He winced as a claw came slashing through the air and heard the clang as talon met sword. He could see that Arthur was only just holding it off. Second time round and he managed to swerve out of the way just in time. Third time round Arthur succeeded in meeting his target but Merlin already knew that just like last time, it would have no impression on the magical creature. The sudden impact of his sword against the Griffon's chest knocked Arthur off balance and the creature's right talon swiped across his upper shoulder. Arthur was pushed over by the force and lay still on the ground, sword clanging as it hit the ground next to him. Merlin ran across into the clearing and into the Griffon's view just as the animal rose up on its back legs for the second time, wings flapping fully outstretched and piercing eyes glaring at the two men in front of him.

Merlin knew that this was the last chance he'd get. Brushing aside the small matter of the future king lying behind him he knew that he'd have to use his magic. At this very moment saving Arthur's life was more important that keeping his secret hidden. He closed his eyes and reached his hands out, focusing on pulling the magic up from within him. He could feel the small shocks at the end of his fingers and the magic cursing through his body. He opened his eyes just as the Griffon sprang forwards.

_fleoge bregdan anweald gafelue!_

Striking it square in the chest, Merlin collapsed onto the ground as the spell took the energy out of him. Looking up, he watched as the Griffon froze, its eyes widened and wings shuddered. It fell to floor and a cloud of dust rose from the earth around it.

Merlin sighed, breathing heavily and closed his eyes in relief. Fingers still tingling from the spell he realised what he had just done.

"Arthur I can explain-"

Merlin cautiously turned to look at his Prince still on the ground next to him. His eyelids were fluttering slightly and the cut on his shoulder caused by the Griffon had begun to bleed badly through the ripped shirt.

"Sire?"

Merlin raised his hand up to Arthurs face, resting it against his cheek, his thumb skimming slightly over his bottom lip.

"Arthur?"

Merlin felt Arthur's lips move underneath his thumb as Arthur muttered something, he eyes opened, blinking in and out of focus and he began to stir.

"M-Merlin?"

"It's okay, you're fine. It's over; I guess that last hit really injured it"

There was no point in bringing up the subject of magic now that Merlin knew Arthur had been unconscious during it. Once again he'd saved his life and if that meant that he had to hide who he was, then it was the best thing to do. He never realised before that he was willing to make that sacrifice as long as Arthur lived. He couldn't be without him and if that meant keeping it a secret then Merlin was okay with that.

"Hey, look at me" Merlin leant over Arthurs face, smiling as he slowly recovered.

"Merlin...what happened"

"It's fine don't worry. You saved the day as always, it caught you on your shoulder but other than that and probably a nasty headache, you look fine. Anyway, I can always bandage it up for you again?"

"I'd like that" still slightly dazed from the fall, the words slipped softly out of Arthur's lips before he could stop them. Except from this time he didn't bother to correct himself. He just fixed his gaze on Merlin leaning over him. He wasn't going to hide his feelings anymore, even if he didn't fully understand them himself. All he knew for definite was that he wanted Merlin to be more than just his serving boy. He stared earnestly at Merlin, hoping he'd understand what he really meant.

"You mean, you'd really want me to…bandage your arm up?"

"I couldn't think of anyone better"

Arthur could see the beginnings of a light red blush forming along the top of Merlin's cheekbones, he was suddenly aware of the little amount of space between them. Merlin's forehead was only centimetres above his and he could feel hot light breathes of air just across from his own mouth. He broke eye contact only for a second, stealing a glance at Merlin's lips and quickly returning his gaze. He knew that neither of them was expecting one another to say anything, they were just lost in the moment, observing the tiniest details. Like the faint smudge of dirt smeared across Merlin's left eyebrow.


	7. Chapter 7

Merlin looked back at Arthur, wondering what Arthur would think of him if he could read his mind. Yet again they were in unexpected close proximity of each other but this time Merlin knew he'd regret it harder than ever if he didn't do something about it. He had an inkling of a thought that Arthur may be thinking the same thing but he didn't dare make the first move. He tenderly smiled at the young man in front of him, marvelling the idea that he could be more than a servant to him.

And that was when it happened.

Arthur pushed himself up onto his elbows and tipped his head slightly, catching the edge of Merlin's bottom lip. Without thinking, Merlin lowered his head in return and pushed his lips into Arthur's. This was more than confirmation that Arthur's impulse decision had paid off. Without breaking the kiss he pulled himself into a sitting position and placed one hand in the small of his back, fingertips gripping Merlin's skin through his tunic ever so slightly. He placed his other hand on Merlin's hip, wincing slightly as the action disturbed the cut across the top of his shoulder. Their first kiss. It wasn't flawless or particularly hot but it made everything make no sense and complete sense all at the same time. It made the months of nearly-moments worth every second and the moments to come even more special.

Merlin smiled into the kiss and pulled away, realising that he'd kept his hand caressing Arthur's cheek all of this time. He moved it upwards, brushing Arthur's hair out of his eyes, foreheads coming to rest against each other. Merlin slid Arthur's hand off his hip, slipping their fingers together and closed his eyes, trying to gather the hundreds of thoughts running around his mind.

They rode back to the Camelot in a happy silence, more than occasionally catching each other's eye and smiling stupidly at one another. Riding too close so that their knees kept brushing against one another, still caught up in the moment. Arthur had finally given in to Merlin and agreed that he couldn't ride very well with one arm in a sling and so the horses were tied together. Maybe for once, Arthur thought, Merlin had had a good idea. Although it was clearly more of an excuse than an idea.

The silence was broken as they reached the bustling courtyard, no doubt Uther was looking for his son. Arthur was hoping that his Knights had realised who he had gone to look for and had by now come up with a story to at least stall Uther, if not cover for him.

"Well, at least Morgana will be happy…Gwaine too come to think about it"

"Why because you've come back victorious?"

"Yeah" Arthur turned his head to Merlin and laughed "something like that…"

The morning after and as usual Merlin was in the bedchambers far too early, although Arthur had come to the decision over night that he actually quite liked that Merlin woke him up. Morning kisses were his favourite.

Arthur had made the mistake of thinking that the morning was turning out to be a good one. He was eating his breakfast and Merlin was running his bath in the hope that he could undress him a little bit more than usual, when there was a short double knock on the door and Uther came striding into the room. By now Arthur had learnt that the look on his father's face meant his was in serious trouble and calmly sat and waited for the lecture to begin and more importantly, end.

"Arthur, I cannot believe tha-" Uther stopped as he caught sight of Merlin in the corner off the room and glared at him suspiciously.

"I'll…er…I'm just leaving" Merlin slipped past Uther quickly and headed out of the door, awkwardly half waving goodbye at Arthur before he turned and closed the door behind him. Arthur couldn't help but wish that Merlin would stay with him for moral support. He'd been in worse trouble before but this time it involved Merlin and he just hoped that Uther would leave him out of it.

On the other side of the door, Merlin was trying to act nonchalant as he lurked in the corridor trying not to look too obvious that he was listening to the muffled argument between Arthur and his father and the scrape of a chair against the stone floor. In all honesty, he'd always been a bit wary of Uther, ever since he first arrived in Camelot and watched as Uther commanded the execution of woman blamed for sorcery. He knew that Arthur had more of a level-head on his shoulders but it would still be a few more years before he would be on the throne. He didn't even dare to think about Uther finding out about their relationship.

Merlin realised that all had gone quiet and quickly backed away from the door, Uther strode out into the corridor looking worryingly pleased with himself and ignored Merlin as he strode off down the corridor heading back to the council chambers.

"Arthur?" Merlin pushed the door open and walked back into the room expecting Arthur to be angry or upset, ready to comfort him.

"Glad to see he didn't scare you off completely" Arthur was back sitting at the table finishing off his breakfast and Merlin was surprised at the joking tone in his voice.

"How did it go?" He watched Arthur stuff the last forkful into his mouth and stand up, wondering how he could still look so ridiculously attractive, he realised that this was the first time he could actually voice that thought out loud and made a mental note to mention it afterwards.

"Overreacted as usual. He found out that I'd gone against his orders not only without taking any of the knights with me but also that I'd managed to injure myself just in time for the jousting tournament next week. He's put a lock down on the castle and won't let me go out on any hunting trips until he's had someone search for the sorcerer to blame"

Arthur walked towards Merlin and opened his arms

"Look on the bright side" Merlin moved in to the hug and wrapped his arms around his Prince. "You've still got me"

Arthur laughed and stepped back to look at Merlin

"Is that supposed to cheer me up?"

"Thought it might"

Arthur smiled and softly kissed Merlin on his forehead because it was true. Arthur would always need Merlin by his side and most importantly, right at this very moment he could think of nothing better.


End file.
